MORE than a year of disrupted work and limited social interactions will take a toll on our mental health. While a privileged few have the capacity and means to amuse themselves while in quarantine, a great majority are stuck in their homes or forced to go out to work, fully aware of the risks to their health. These conditions will eventually wear us out and make us feel like we are just going with what is happening, seemingly unable to find the motivation to get up and work. That feeling is called languishing.
The term was first coined by Corey Keyes in 2002 to describe the opposite of flourishing, which is living with high levels of well-being. New York Times writer Adam Grant defines it as “the void between depression and flourishing—the absence of well-being.” In effect, one who is languishing feels that nothing is wrong, but nothing is right either. This is what others call a feeling of “blah” and “meh” accompanied by a feeling that they are just going through the motions of the day. What is significant about it is that this can become a risk for serious mental health if not addressed.
One suggestion by Grant in his article to shake off that feeling of languishing is to be in the flow. Based on what he wrote, I think it is the same concept popularized by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi who said that flow is “a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.”
Some have been able to snap out of languishing by engaging in hobbies and activities that piqued their interest, or something they wanted to do but have been putting off for a long time. Hence, people have started gardening and adopting pets to somehow find normalcy and purpose in their daily routine. These activities could be anything as long as you enjoy doing them and can sustain your interest.
Grant’s other suggestion is to focus on small wins. Look for projects or activities which are easily completed but provide enough challenge to exercise your creativity, tickle your scholarly interests, or reconnect with what you are passionate about.
Some have thrived during the pandemic by taking online courses and finishing a certificate on a skill for their professional development. A few have joined peer support groups and started helping people by telling their stories and sharing what works well for them. Meanwhile, others reconnected with their families and friends. What is important is the sense of fulfillment you find in completing an activity or task. This will spark and rekindle your motivation. His other suggestion is to schedule uninterrupted time where you can focus and just do what you need to do. This is understandable considering that working from home has blurred the lines between personal time and work time and made employees available on-demand. Whenever possible, block off time when you need to fully concentrate on what you are doing and let people know about it. Make it clear also that you are not available on certain times and cut off communication with the office when it is your personal time.
Aside from Grant’s suggestions, there are other ways you can get out of the slump. You can focus on your long-term goals. A high school friend once posted in social media that to motivate himself, he would look at his payslip. He trudged on and always kept the end in mind and reminded himself every day that he is not just doing it for himself but also for his family. Going back to what is important to you and reminding yourself of what you have accomplished so far can greatly help in giving you the added boost to keep on moving.
Speaking of moving, add physical activity to your routine. Any form of activity gives you a sense of accomplishment and releases endorphins and dopamines—the happy hormones. Taking care of pets and grooming them, taking care of plants, and even starting your own fitness regimen will help in boosting your energy levels and provide the needed trigger to kickstart your other activities.
This may be counterintuitive but take breaks. Productivity experts recommend taking breaks before moving on to the next task. Breaks give you the needed time to reset, regroup and allow your body and mind to rejuvenate before heading on to he next activity. A popular time management method is the Pomodoro Technique where you divide work into 25-minute segments and then take five-minute breaks in between. Of course, not all work can be easily divided into 25-minute segments. The idea here is to take frequent breaks for your body and mind to catch up.
Listen and talk to people. One of the best things I have done during the pandemic was to join a peer support group so I can be trained to become a counsellor and at the same time allow me the opportunity to listen to people’s stories and be motivated by their triumphs and learn from their mistakes. And because most are working from home, we get to share stories of how we coped and we developed professional friendships with people we have not personally met yet. One of the things I got to enjoy was facilitating a peer support group and learning from strangers how they dealt with their situation.
If you can, change your setting. If you can, go for a road trip just so you can change your environment and have a different view, that would be great. If not, you can always take a walk around your community or rearrange the layout of your room, or a section of your house. Sometimes, a change of setting can help you notice things differently and encourage creativity.
Languishing by itself is not alarming. However, it can lead to other mental issues if left unattended. It also makes us realize that our well-being is not limited to the physical alone, but includes our mental, emotional and social health. After all, knowing what it is and knowing we can do something about it goes a long way in preventing it from becoming problematic later.
Image courtesy of Darya Tryfanava on Unsplash
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